Nonprofit Leadership Alliance: AMI 2014 Reflections
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posted by Lyn McDonough, Program Coordinator Sr., Nonprofit Leadership Alliance ASU Lodestar Center |
Each year Arizona State University’s Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) prepares students to attend a national institute designed to bring partnering nonprofit organizations and Alliance campus partners together to share ideas, best practices and forward the mission of “strengthening the nonprofit sector with a talented and prepared workforce.” Student seeking the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential from over 40 campuses across the country attend workshops, hear from national leaders and provide the host community with opportunities to learn from student case studies.
It is not easy to pull this together for the national organization or the local campus. ASU’s program conducts an annual face-to-face scholarship campaign for financial support to attend the Institute fondly called AMI. This year, the Alliance Management Institute was held in Chicago during the coldest storm on record with -12 to -45 degree weather. ASU made it there and back with no trouble at all when many campuses did not. This was a teachable environment relying on flexibility, trust and the professional qualities needed during changing times.
With help from so many donors again this year, 14 ASU students attended and soaked up all the experience had to offer. Along with overcoming their fear of asking for money, students learned valuable lessons in fundraising, speaking about their career goals and networking. Each has a story to tell about their experience and we thought you might enjoy hearing a few of their observations.